“ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14-17
I guess it hit me when the shooting happened at a church in Texas back in November last year. I remember when the news feeds erupted, TV, internet, everywhere, with the story of over 20 dead at a church. While people worshipped, a gunman mercilessly murdered them. What I remember most at that time though was my reaction. Nothing, really. My immediate response was, “Oh, another mass shooting.” That was about it, nothing else, just another day in the life.
It wasn’t until later that day when the story unfolded, and I got to see the faces, see the carnage, that I cried. Part of it was tears for all of those helpless victims who had no business losing their lives so soon, so senselessly, while they worshipped. Part of it was tears of anger and rage at myself for what I’ve become. I lost my ability to care. Maybe just temporarily, but that was enough of a wake-up call for me. For that brief period of time, I just didn’t care, I had become so numb to the crazy number of mass shootings, I had no emotional reaction whatsoever.
The irony is that when I started writing this blog post, Laurel mentioned the Orlando shooting, and I thought to myself, I almost forgot about that one. And then she said, “I almost forgot about the Texas shooting.” Is that who we’ve become? Is it just another day in the life? We’ve just grown to accept shooting massacres and move on?
I find it interesting and almost humorous, some of the silly discussions or arguments that went on after this one. Have there really been 18 school shootings this year? Well no, that’s just more fake news! The media is blowing it out of proportion. Does it really matter? Isn’t one mass shooting one too many? What if it were your child, or my child, wouldn’t one be too many?
We like to hold ourselves out as the greatest nation, I would argue that, I believe that ship has sailed a long time ago, but I still believe we have an awful lot of pretty smart people out there. No one can come up with some ideas to deal with this? My liberal friends say, “Let’s ban assault weapons, let’s have more gun control.” Yes! My conservative friends say, “Let’s bring in out-of-work ex-military personnel or ex-police officers to guard the schools or arm the teachers.” Yes! Let’s do something, let’s do anything! I’m amazed at the continual malaise, the constant “that won’t work”, why do we have so little desire to do anything to address this?
I’ll readily admit, I don’t have the answers. I don’t know if tighter gun laws will work, I grew up with guns, and I’ve been around them most of my life, but I think we need to investigate this. I do believe one of the most difficult issues is the fact that the NRA has many Congressmen in their back pocket. I’m not exactly sure how someone like Marco Rubio can live with himself after 17 students and teachers were murdered in his home state when he’s taking millions from the NRA. He has to live with himself, he has to look in the mirror every day, not sure how he does it, I know I couldn’t.
But then again, how do we live with ourselves? We love to do what the politicians are so good at doing these days, we like to say “My thoughts and prayers are with you.” I’ve grown in my life to despise those words, we’ve gotten to the point that we use that phrase like we say “how are you?” Thoughts and prayers without action is meaningless. We are calling our politicians to action, but we are also called to action. We need to demand action, we can’t continue to sit idly by while our children are being crucified. Stand up, be heard, write letters, vote those who the NRA supports out of office, demand our politicians stop taking money from the NRA, demonstrate, march, protest. Are our children not worth it?
So just try to imagine, imagine putting Colin or Carter or Nicholas or Rachel or Laura on the school bus tomorrow. Imagine that thought in your mind as you wonder, could this be the day? Will I ever see them again? Should I squeeze them even tighter? Should I tell them even more how much I love them?
Just try to imagine one of the teachers in your family, think about Leah or Holly, have you told them, please don’t be a hero, don’t be a human shield for your students, even though you know, it’s worthless to tell them that, they love their students too much not to sacrifice their lives for them. Have you thought about them every day and thought, could this be the day? When was the last time I told them how much I loved them?
OK, I know I’m old, but I’m going to pull one out from back in the day. What would Jesus do? Do you think Jesus would just sit by while his children were being murdered? Look at some of the faces of children I’ve posted that have been executed at their schools. Think about if that were your child. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” He didn’t say deliver them to me in body bags. When will enough be enough?
“I can see Your heart in everything You’ve done
Every part designed in a work of art called love
If You gladly chose surrender so will I
I can see Your heart
Eight billion different ways
Every precious one
A child You died to save
If You gave Your life to love them so will I”
Hillsong United – “So Will I”
